The intersection is in the top 5 percent of the most dangerous in the state and traffic is expected to grow in the area in coming years, said David Heslinga, an engineer with V3 Companies of Illinois who has studied the intersection.

The proposals come after several years of traffic studies following the closing of Joliet Road in 1998. The department received $40 million in a settlement with nearby quarry owner Vulcan Materials, and is dedicating the money to highway improvements in the area, according to a website dedicated to the project.

The Indiana Harbor Belt Railway crosses 47th Street about 140 feet west of the intersection and East Avenue about 120 feet south of the intersection. Approximately 40 to 50 trains travel the tracks there each day, according to the website, and Heslinga said that number is expected to grow to 97 trains per day by 2039.

At a recent La Grange Village Board meeting, residents and officials questioned whether improvements would have the result of increasing traffic. IDOT has said one project goal is increasing capacity at the intersection.

"My concern really is what La Grange's goal is and what IDOT's goal is, and I don't believe that they're the same," Trustee Mark Kuchler said.

He and other trustees raised concerns that increasing capacity might make the intersection more dangerous for drivers and pedestrians.

The proposed design would prevent turning west onto 47th street while driving northbound on East Avenue, would restrict Bluff Avenue to southbound traffic only, and would add pylons to prevent people driving around the railway gates.

The department dropped plans that might have included an underpass or an overpass after heavy community opposition to separating grades at the crossing, Heslinga said.

Resident Don Johnston said attempting to fix the intersection is hopeless.

"It's a terribly ugly stepsister of an intersection," Johnston said. "… We're focusing in the wrong area if we're really trying to address significant traffic safety."